Edris Poldark
Player: Curtana
Classes: Free Mage
Race: Human
Alignment: Lawful Good
Appears in: Legacy of the Ancients
Background
Edris is the eldest child of Ennor and Mairin Poldark. Her father, Ennor, is an innkeeper in Menthras, owner of the Wayward Falcon, and her mother has been dead for about ten years. Edris was given many responsibilities from the time she was quite young, especially when it came to taking care of her three younger brothers (Ebrel, Espen, and Ethian) and her younger sister (Erla). She was also expected to help out around the inn as much as possible, with everything from cooking and cleaning to serving customers and grooming horses. She was kept very busy, but her childhood was mostly a happy one, until her mother's death when Edris was thirteen.
Her father, needing help to keep his business running and his young family clothed and fed, wound up marrying one of the barmaids who worked for him, a young woman named Janna who was no more than five years older than Edris herself. She did not get along well with her new stepdaughter, and Edris sought out some reason to get away from her home. Her mother's aunt, Carline Havelock, who had never married but instead trained as a Free Mage, offered to take on her great-niece as an apprentice, and Edris jumped at the chance, though she knew that Carline only as a rather crotchety and strict older woman (though perhaps not quite as old as she ought to be...). She moved in with her great-aunt as soon as she could, and though she often returned home to see her younger siblings, she found that she loved the comparative freedom (as well as the peace and quiet!) that studying magic afforded her. She was also surprised to learn that her mother had once trained to be a mage as well, but had given up her studies in order to marry and have a family (which had greatly disappointed Carline, who felt that Mairin had enormous potential). Edris privately decided never to let the same thing happen to her.
Now, at the age of 23, Edris is a bright and clever young woman, devoted to her studies but not the type to have her head constantly buried in a book. She is friendly and warm, but tries to avoid getting overly close to young men - she has never had a boyfriend, and intends to keep it that way. She is involved with the Guild of Free Mages, and hopes to rise to some position of power in the guild, which she would of course use for the betterment of society in general. She wants to make the practice of Free Magic more understood and accepted among the people of Lindal, and to demonstrate that not all Free Mages are unbalanced or dangerous. She tends to be quite curious and inquisitive about things she doesn't understand. As the eldest of her family, she's used to being something of an authority figure, especially when dealing with people who are younger than herself, but she does give the appropriate respect to those who are older and wiser. She's not especially religious, but she was raised worshiping the Traveller for the most part, due to her family's occupation.
During their time in Roan, Edris met the paladin Dorel Alberet, and the two became romantically (though chastely) involved.
Description
Edris is slightly below average height for a human female, and tends towards plumpness. Her face is round and when she smiles, dimples appear in her cheeks. She has long, thick black hair which she generally wears in a braid hanging down to her waist. Her eyes are a deep blue. She usually wears scholarly robes in subdued shades of grey and blue, and sturdy shoes when out in the city. She carries a staff and generally has a dagger at her waist, but doesn't often draw it. In dire circumstances, she is capable of using a heavy crossbow. Her familiar, a bat named Melancthon, generally resides inside her sleeve during daylight hours.
Edris is friendly and curious about the world, though perhaps a little naive about its seamier side. She can be somewhat bossy and demanding, but she demands even higher standards from herself. She's honest to a fault and prefers not to use her Enchantment magics to manipulate people, especially those who might be allies, because she wants to be trusted. She dislikes unnecessary violence and feels sick at the sight of blood - this played a major part in her decision to specialize in magic that doesn't physically harm its targets.
